2 August 2023 · A sentence from the teachings of Rav Kook

Rav Kook's Sayings / Against Extremism

„Balanced are the two sides of 'Do not be overly righteous' and of 'Do not be overly wise'... The aspiration that grows beyond measure toward the great and excessive righteousness impoverishes the power of justice, and destroys the foundation of morality in a cruel manner.”From Shemonah Kevatzim 7:145

Extremism always destroys. When a person exerts himself too much and tries to be more righteous than the Torah said, or when a person tries to be wiser than the Holy One, blessed be He, and to decide what is right for humanity (and often admonishes everyone around him), he destroys and does not draw near. There is, in the moderation that the Torah instructed, and in understanding the social and environmental force, alongside keeping the Torah — a very great secret. Whoever loses the connection to the earth because of his connection to the heavens turns the service of God into idolatry and loses his mind.

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The Righteous
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